Coins & Currency Reselling Guide

Market Segments

Segment	Description	Price Range
Bullion	Value = metal content (gold, silver)	Spot price + premium
Numismatic	Collector value beyond metal	$1-$10,000,000+
Key Dates	Rare years/mintmarks	10x-1000x+ common dates
Paper Currency	Rare notes, star notes, errors	$2-$100,000+
Ancient Coins	Roman, Greek, medieval	$20-$500,000+

Coin Grading (Sheldon Scale)

Grade	Description	Value Impact
MS-70	Perfect Uncirculated	Massive premium
MS-65 to MS-69	Gem Uncirculated	Strong premium
MS-60 to MS-64	Uncirculated (bag marks ok)	Above average
AU-50 to AU-58	About Uncirculated	Light wear, nice coins
EF/XF-40 to EF-45	Extremely Fine	Light wear, details sharp
VF-20 to VF-35	Very Fine	Moderate wear
F-12 to F-15	Fine	Even wear, all lettering visible
VG-8 to VG-10	Very Good	Heavy wear
G-4 to G-6	Good	Major wear, outline visible
AG-3, FR-2, PO-1	About Good, Fair, Poor	Heavily worn, barely identifiable

Key Date Coins to Know

Lincoln Cents

1909-S VDB: $800-$2,000+ (first year, low mintage)
1914-D: $250-$5,000+ (key date)
1922 No D: $500-$30,000+ (missing mintmark error)
1943 Copper: $100,000+ (error, most are fake)
1955 Doubled Die: $1,000-$25,000+

Morgan & Peace Dollars

1893-S Morgan: $5,000-$500,000+ (key date)
1895 Morgan (Proof only): $30,000-$100,000+
1921 Peace (High Relief): $100-$5,000+
CC Mintmarks: Carson City = premium

Other Key Coins

1916-D Mercury Dime: $1,000-$50,000+
1932-D/S Washington Quarters: $100-$5,000+
1938-D Walking Liberty Half: $50-$500+
Pre-1965 Silver: 90% silver, worth melt value minimum

Silver & Gold Basics

Junk Silver (90% Silver)

Dimes (pre-1965): ~0.0715 oz silver each
Quarters (pre-1965): ~0.1808 oz silver each
Half dollars (1964 & earlier): ~0.3617 oz silver each
$1 face value = ~0.715 oz silver

Silver Dollars

Morgan (1878-1921): 0.7734 oz silver
Peace (1921-1935): 0.7734 oz silver
Common dates: Melt value + small premium

Gold Coins

$20 Liberty/Saint-Gaudens: 0.9675 oz gold
$10 Liberty/Indian: 0.4838 oz gold
$5 Liberty/Indian: 0.2419 oz gold
American Gold Eagle: 1 oz, .5 oz, .25 oz, .1 oz

💡 Spot Price Rule: Always know current spot prices. Silver ~$25/oz, Gold ~$2,000/oz (check daily). Bullion should trade at spot + reasonable premium (5-15%).

Grading Services

PCGS: Professional Coin Grading Service - gold standard
NGC: Numismatic Guaranty Corporation - equally respected
ANACS: Third tier, still legitimate
ICG: Fourth tier, lower premium

Rule: PCGS and NGC slabs command highest premiums. Avoid other grading companies for valuable coins.

Where to Source

Estate sales: Often below market, check carefully
Coin shows: Best for networking, bulk deals
Garage sales: Rare finds in old collections
Bank rolls: CRH (Coin Roll Hunting) - buy rolls, search for silver
Online dealers: APMEX, JM Bullion, SD Bullion
eBay: Wide selection, use Top Rated Sellers
r/Coins4Sale: Reddit marketplace
Local coin shops (LCS): Build relationships

Where to Sell

Platform	Fees	Best For
eBay	~13%	Individual coins, raw & slabbed
Heritage Auctions	10-20%	High-end rarities
GreatCollections	0% seller	Slabbed coins
Local Coin Shops	Buy 80-90% of value	Quick cash, bulk
Coin Shows	Table fee	Volume, networking
r/Pmsforsale	0%	Bullion, collector audience

Counterfeits & Fakes

Weight test: Real coins have exact weight
Magnet test: Silver/gold not magnetic
Ping test: Real silver has distinctive ring
Details: Fakes often have mushy details
Edge: Check reeding consistency
Buy slabbed: PCGS/NGC guarantee authenticity

⚠️ Chinese Fakes: High-quality counterfeits exist for almost every valuable US coin. For raw coins over $100, strongly consider getting them graded. Never buy "too good" deals.